The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, today (July 25) joined young volunteers to visit elderly families in Yau Tsim Mong District. He called on members of the public to collectively establish a caring and inclusive community.

The "Celebrations for All" home visit programme was one of the major events to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Accompanied by the Acting Permanent Secretary for Education, Mr Brian Lo; District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), Mrs Laura Aron; young volunteers and representatives of a charitable organisation, Mr Yeung first went to a small shop in Yau Ma Tei where he bought some fruit for the home visits. He also took the opportunity to learn more about the retailing business and residents' daily life in the district.

Afterwards they went to two buildings to visit elderly singleton and two-person families to learn about their daily life and needs. They also extended cordial greetings and presented the fruit and gift packs to the elderly.

"I feel closely attached to Yau Ma Tei where I received my secondary education and grew up. When I joined the Government, my first posting was Assistant District Officer (Yau Tsim). Visiting senior citizens in the district today feels like returning home to chat with the old folks of my family," Mr Yeung said.

"We must cater for the needs of the elderly, both physically and mentally. I sincerely hope that they can live a healthy and happy life in the community, with the support of families, neighbours as well as the government and social service organisations."

Mr Yeung said he hoped that such home visits could help bring the love and care of the community to the elderly and needy. Through the visits, young people could also learn more about the history and future needs of their neighbourhood so as to better prepare themselves for serving and contributing to the district. Instilling love for Hong Kong and commitment to the community is in fact one of the objectives of education policy, he said.

He added that various Principal Officials would continue to pay district visits regularly to communicate with members of the public and listen to their opinions with a view to collectively establishing a caring and inclusive community.